Page 32 of Forever To Me

She sighs and nods. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

I gesture toward my bike. “Come on. I’ll take you back.”

Red hesitates, glancing at the motorcycle, then back at me. “I, uh… haven’t been on one of these before.”

I raise a brow. “What, never?”

She huffs. “Not since I was a kid, and that was one of those little dirt bikes.”

I hold back a grin. “Well, Red, you’re due for a ride.”

I grab the spare helmet and jacket from the saddlebag and hand it to her. She hesitantly slides them on. I’m glad I have extra for her just in case to keep her safe. Climbing onto the bike and steadying it, I look over my shoulder at her. “You gonna stand there all night, or you getting on?”

She rolls her eyes but moves closer, hesitating only a second before swinging a leg over and settling behind me.

“Hold on,” I tell her.

She places her hands lightly on my sides, which isn’t enough.

I exhale sharply. Fuck. This was a bad idea.

I grab her wrists and pull her arms around my waist, pressing her flush against my back.

“You’re gonna wanna hold on tighter than that, Red,” I murmur.

She sucks in a breath, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she tightens her grip, molding herself against me.

I twist the throttle as the bike roars to life, and we shoot forward, tearing down the open road.

The wind cuts against my skin, warm and sharp as we ride into the late afternoon light. The sun hangs low over the Wyoming plains, spilling gold over rolling hills, long stretches of highway, and distant, towering peaks. It’s the kind of ride I’ve ridden through a hundred times before, but today—today, I see it differently. Today, I see it through Violet’s eyes.

She’s behind me, arms wrapped around my waist, hesitant at first, but now she’s holding on tight. Her body molds to my back, the warmth of her seeping through my shirt, her cheek pressed to my shoulder when we lean into the turns. I can feel her breath's quick, uneven rhythm as she adjusts to the speed, the sensation of flying with nothing but the road beneath us and the sky stretching wide overhead.

She’s never been on a bike before. Said so with a nervous laugh when I handed her the extra helmet, biting her lip like she wasn’t sure she trusted me with her life. But she climbed on anyway, and now here we are—taking the long way back to town, because I can’t bring myself to rush this.

Not with her.

The golden light stretches out in every direction, casting long shadows over the open land. Wildflowers blur in streaks of orange and yellow along the roadside, and a herd of horses grazes in the distance, tails flicking, their coats catching fire in the sunlight. I wonder if Violet notices them and if she’s watching this land, drinking it in like I did the first time I ever took a ride like this.

She shifts slightly behind me, and I swear I feel her sigh. Like she’s giving in, letting go.

I slow the bike, coasting easy, giving her time to take it all in. The engine rumbles beneath us, steady and low, and when I glance down, I catch her fingers curled tighter against my stomach.

“Not so bad, huh?” I call through the speakers in the helmet.

She hesitates, then says. “It’s…beautiful.”

I grin because that’s exactly what I wanted her to see. Not just the land, but the freedom of it. The way it feels to be out here, nothing but sky and open road, nothing tying you down. It's like letting go of anything bothering me and giving it to the wind. My rides are the best way to clear my head.

I take a turn, slow and smooth, and her arms tighten around me again. I could get used to this—her holding on like she belongs here, like she trusts me to keep her safe.

Hell, I’d spend a lifetime proving that she could.

The sun sinks lower, turning the horizon into molten gold, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel the need to rush. I don’t feel the pressure of where we’re going or what comes next.

All I feel is her.

And for now, that’s enough. That’s all I’ll allow myself to feel.

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